Author: Kevin

Raleigh Bisbee

Listen to the interview (approx. 1 hr, 6 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2012 from the Boston Conservatory with a major in Musical Theater.

 

Position:  Account Manager at Switch, a company specializing in providing centers for other corporations to house their computers and data storage.  A salaried position,  Releigh’s job is  to speak with current clients regarding new offerings Switch has and making sure they’re taking advantage of all appropriate offerings by her company.  She also gives tours of the facilities.

 

Overview:  Raleigh was more ambivalent about wanting a career in musical theater than many of her peers, but she moved to New York after graduating after an agency signed her.  But she didn’t hustle as much as many of her peers and grew frustrated about not landing roles, while supporting herself by waitressing and bartending.  She tried a 9-to-5 job as a technical recruiter in 2014, but disliked it as she felt unsupported and the hours were too long and went back to auditioning and bartending.  Meeting her now-fiance made her realize that she wanted  steady income and a family and a career in musical theater was not for her.

One day in 2015 while tending bar, an older couple chatted with her and asked what she wanted to do; Raleigh replied that she wanted to be in sales.  The husband was an executive at Ricoh, and got her a job selling photocopiers and business services to large law firms, where after a tough first few months Raleigh excelled.  Then in 2017 her fiance got a good job offer in Las Vegas so they moved.  Raleigh looked for other opportunities in sales or account management at a company with a good culture, and eventually a recruiter connected her with Switch, where they clicked well and a month later she was hired into her current position once it became open.

 

You can see Raleigh’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “What I love most about my job is the company I work for–their mission, and the team of people I work with.  It’s important for me to be on a team that is passionate about what they do, helpful, and invested in my own success.”

“I got into tech sales because I like interacting with people and am very competitive, so my personality was a good fit for sales. A beautiful thing about technology is that if you can acquire the skills and knowledge and put yourself in the field you can excel in it and climb the ranks. I also figured I’d go into tech sales because if I wasn’t going to do something I was in love with at least I could make a ton of money.”

During our last year at BoCo, we did a lot of workshops were on how to present ourselves in an audition. That’s incredibly relevant to sales, where you have about 15 seconds to make an impression!  Those audition skills transferfed over in a way I couldn’t have imagined before.

“You have to pursue your dreams, but your dreams can change. I get that same enjoyment doing some community theater or cabaret on the side while doing having else as my main job as I would from being in musical theater for money.”

“Nobody else in sales/account management had experience before they started working; 9 times in 10 the most successful people have degrees in something else. You may not start in exactly the place you want to start. I can be stressful and unpleasant at times, but if they support you then with time, persistence, understanding and self-reflection you’ll be successful.”

 

See the full index of successful Berklee/BoCo alumni.

Aly Laughlin

Listen to the interview (approx. 53 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2012 from the Boston Conservatory with a major in Musical Theater.

 

Position:  Food blogger at her own blog, The Vegan Spy., a popular vegan food blog.  A one-person operation, Aly makes her living through three sources which synergize:  she develops new recipes for brands, she blogs about food (and gets associated ad revenue), and she guest-writes articles in other blogs and magazines.   She also helps local restaurants develop vegan menu items.  As of late 2017 The Vegan Spy has roughly 10,000 monthly subscribers and another 2,000 social media followers.

 

Overview:  Partway through her program at BoCo, Aly realized that she wanted a career with more stability than musical theater had to offer, and she wanted to help animals.  After a summer of teaching musical theater, Aly moved spent the better part of a year organizing, on her own initiative, a 1,000-person drag-themed fundraiser in Provincetown to help whales.  As that happened in the summer of 2013, a friend who worked at Manhattan Renovations (a large general contractor), reached out to her to be their event planner and social media publicist.  Aly worked there full-time,  but after a year felt she needed an outlet for her creativity and beliefs.

Aly had always had a passion for food, so she started The Vegan Spy in 2014 as a hobby.  In late 2015 she got her first paid work.  By 2016 she had enough professional connections and work coming in that she left her job in order to food blog full-time, while at the same time moving from New York to Cincinnati to be near family and benefit from the lower cost of living.

 

You can see Aly’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “One of my favorite things about this is being my own boss and making my own hours. That’s a really nice feeling. Also, I can do my work from absolutely anywhere!  The trick with any is you have to be really self-motivated and create your own deadlines, as nobody else is going to kick your butt.”

“If you want to be a professional blogger, follow lots of other blogs. It’s great to have your own style, but it’s so important to see what others are doing. Not just to keep up with trends, but to stay creative and be inspired. Just like at BoCo when we’d go to the museum to be inspired. Keep getting inspired so that you’re still growing.”

“Theater isn’t like doing math where you have ten problems to solve. You have to be self-motivated to practice until you’re ready and really figure things out yourself. My experience at BoCo taught me to set my own schedule and stay organized with minimal imposed structure.”

 

One of Aly’s creations–pumpkin shakes!  “When I started, my following was really small–so really all I could offer was high-quality photos that they could share and good recipes. It took a lot of work to get where I am now. For years I made little to no money, but I kept pushing and reaching out until I had forged those relationships. These days, they reach out to me.”

 

 

 

Another of Aly’s creations–pineapple fried rice with avocado!  “I’m a total perfectionist. I’ll usually make a recipe 5 times before I consider it perfect. The tricky thing is that I have to finish by 4:00 pm, because to get good food photos you need natural daylight.”

 

 

 

 

 

Aly with a feathered friend.  “I’ve always loved animals, and loved coming up with recipes and taking photos.  I don’t really have the skills to work at an animal non-profit (doing anything but the lowest-level job), but this work I do allows me to help animals by using my creativity. ”

 

 

 

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee/BoCo alumni.

Samantha Attaguile

Listen to the interview (approx. 37 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2012 from the Boston Conservatory with a major in Voice Performance.

 

Position:  Executive Assistant at Chicago Software Solutions,  a small software company that does mostly contracted development work.   It’s her, the founder, two other technical people, and sometimes a few temporary contractors.  Samantha is the one non-technical person tehre, and handles the billing, books, marketing, all clerical and office-related tasks, including coordinating travel human resources functions.

Overview:  For much of high school, Samantha made money working in offices, having been introduced to that sort of work by her mother, a paralegal.  During her four years at BoCo, she was a student-employee in BoCo’s HR office, sometimes helping in the President’s Office and the Admissions Office.  Graduating in 2012, Samantha went straight into a 2 year Masters program in voice performance at Roosevelt University in Chicago.  Her experience at BoCo led to her employment in their President’s Office during her time there.

Completing her Masters Degree in the spring of 2014, she spent the summer performing and working a side job at a Segway touring company.  But by August the performance program had wrapped and the tours were winding down.  She needed an income, so looked for an office/temp job.  In October she got a 3-month  temp job, and applied to jobs online.  She found her current job through craigslist, applied, and was hired in early 2016 right as the temp job ended.  Samantha continues to do many musical projects on the side.

You can see Samantha’s LinkedIn profile here.

Choice Quotes:  “I enjoy the administrative aspects of work. Especially when I started and as the first admin person instituted a whole lot of procedures. I like making my boss’s life easier and having a say over things–setting my own pace in an independent work environment. ”

“A lot of musicians are good at admin-type jobs. We need to know how to present ourselves and our materials well, and know how to organize out own lives.  Because I auditioned for strangers I’ve been more comfortable in job interviews. Being a performer made me more comfortable speaking on the phone.”

“Working in music is still the goal, but I need to pay the bills and I need to eat.  The work can be enjoyable and I appreciate what it brings. I couldn’t imagine not having a stable, salaried position.  You can make good money doing office work, and if ultimately music doesn’t work out I’ll probably be doing this.”

“While you search for that music career, be honest about your talent and prospects–a career in music is very uncertain and can you compete successfully? If not, how are you going to survive? Focus on your strengths, make connections.  Little service gigs are fine, but office work is pretty easy, comfortable work that pays pretty well, and a lot of folks can start in that. It’s stable, not taxing on my voice or body, and my work-life balance is respected, so that works for me.  Find what works for you.”

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee/BoCo alumni.

Susana Monsalve-Jones

Listen to the interview (approx. 36 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2013 with majors in Music Production & Engineering and Film Scoring.  Principal instrument:  Voice.

 

Position:  Management Consultant at Roland Berger, London (UK) office.  Roland Berger is a multinational business consulting firm with around 5,000 employees worldwide, though the London Office has roughly 40 consultants, plus support staff.  Susana puts in long hours advising companies in different industries on business and private equity deals.

 

Overview:  After graduating in the summer of 2013, Susana got a job as an assistant at a studio in L.A., where she worked for a bit over a year.  Roughly halfway through, she started feeling restless–the job started to feel unchallenging and she found she liked working in music less than she thought she would.  Speaking with friends in other industries, she figured that she’d enjoy a business career more and sought ways to get into an elite business school.  Always good with numbers, she studied for and did well on the GMAT exam.  Aware that top schools like interesting work experience, Susana actively pursued and got an 8-month volunteer position , working in microfinance in Madagascar at the international poverty-relief organization Unbound.  Her application to the Australian Graduate Schools of Management (AGSM)’s MBA program was accepted, and she started her studies in the fall of 2015.

As was common with her program, Susana did the second half of her program at a partner school, in this case, the London Business School.  Many companies came there to recruit talented individuals, and shared what their industry and businesses were all about.  Working as a management consultant appealed to Susana, and she liked what Roland Berger had to offer, so she went straight into her current job after graduating in the spring of 2017.

 

You can see Susana’s LinkedIn profile here.  Susana encourages Berklee folks who are interested in management consulting to reach out to her.

 

Choice Quotes:  “Two things I like about being a management consultant. One is that I’m always learning, reading about new things and being intellectually engaged.  The other is being part of a high-performing team.  Everyone here is incredibly smart and driven.”

“In a four-week project, week 1 you’re learning all about the industry. Early in week 2 you meet with clients and they give you a scope of the project. Then you start working with the team and developing a good story line: what you want to tell, the info you need, how you get the information. Weeks 2 and 3 you’re gathering the info & building an understandable power point presentation. Week 4 you talk to the clients, showing them what you have–answer further questions or see what they want more and add it in. Then you give the final presentation and you’re on to the next project.”

“For your first 5 years you’re a generalist consultant, and they want you to do lots of different things. I’ve done projects in the oil/gas,, nuclear, healthcare and IT industries.  If during those 5 years you find something you really like, you can become a specialist.”

“Thanks to Berklee and my music background I think differently–more creatively–which can be useful in mgmt consulting.  Berklee also exposed me to a very diverse group of people and I became very culturally aware very fast, which is important in my field too as we work with a large diversity of clients.”

“Don’t be afraid to try anything.  It’s never too late, and if you change paths in a structured and wholehearted manner you can transition to nearly anything–like I did!”

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Tiffany Spearman

Listen to the interview (approx. 51 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2008 from the Boston Conservatory with a major in Modern Dance.

 

Positions:  1) Management Consultant/Event Planner.  Tiffany started her own company, At Liberty, which helps run events, deal with logistics and organizational shifts, and focus on individual health and fulfillment.
2)  Property Manager / Sales at Ross Management Services.  This mostly-administrative real-estate job, working for a firm that has multiple multi-family developments, is to pay the bills until Tiffany’s business brings in enough revenue to go full time.

 

Overview:  After graduation, Tiffany moved to NYC, where she danced in many different venues, choreographed a play, and started her own dance project in 2010 dedicated to making modern dance more accessible.  But after 5 years she started feeling that this life wasn’t as much fun as expected–it felt like she was stagnating, doing the same thing repeatedly.  She went online and started applying to jobs.  In early 2014, she got an administrative job, assisting the director, at a charter school in the Washington, DC area.

Tiffany started at that job for two years, but wanted to start her own company and found the work at the charter school too demanding to pursue a side job.  So in 2016 she applied for and took a job with Ross Management Services, still in the DC area, in order to have the time and energy to start her business.  Soon after, she got her first client.

 

You can see Tiffany’s LinkedIn profile here.  Tiffany also encourages folks to reach out to her at  info@atlibertylife.com.

 

Choice Quotes: “Consulting is a lot of fun for me. I like talking with people, and I get a really good feeling out of helping people. I’m ready to jump in on anything, and the work is really fun because it’s always changing. I get to wear different hats and learn so much–I love continuous learning and talking to people who know things I don’t know.”

“Whenever you bring people together around a common cause or initiative, it brings in life in a way that emails don’t. In-person events engage us more in what we’re doing and engage us with our communities.”

“I follow the agile technique–doing things iteratively and growing them incrementally. This lets me not just test things out and continue to scale my business.”

 

 

 

Tiffany, dancing while a student at BoCo.  “The Boston Conservatory taught me grit.  While there, I also learned to think outside the box, and also to express myself fully.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To those who are struggling to find their way, Tiffany advises, “Staying open to opportunities will serve you well. Don’t let yourself be blinded by how you think things should be. Know that you’re not alone and you have every advantage.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee/BoCo alumni.

Sasha Foster

(formerly Sasha Taylor)

Listen to the interview (approx. 43 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2011 with a major in Music Business.  Principal instrument:  voice.

 

Position:  Production Coordinator in the Management Operations department at ESPN.  In this multifaceted administrative role, Sasha schedules film crews and producers, books flights and handles other logistics, deals with payroll and other accounts, helps the online ad sales team with ensuring that purchased ads work properly on the website, and runs analyses to help get things done more efficiently.

 

Overview:  Unsure what she wanted to do after graduation, Sasha moved home to Connecticut after graduation, and got a job on the sales floor of an Apple Store, as a “specialist” but also selling to businesses.  One day a customer she was chatting with said his wife was a dean at Bay Path University and encouraged Sasha to look at Bay Path University’s  Online MBA program.  It looked good, so Sasha enrolled in the summer of 2012, and earned her MBA at the end of 2013.

As she was finishing up her degree, Sasha reached out to AccountTemps, a temp agency for skilled employees, hoping that would get her some good experience and a better job.  She left the Apple store, then in January 2014 got a temporary position processing invoices and expense reports at ESPN.  Eight months later, ESPN hired her into her current position.

 

You can seen Sasha’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:   “I’m the behind-the-scenes of the behind-the-scenes. Production is all-hands-on-deck and you do whatever’s needed.”

“An online MBA program really is about time management. If you don’t get it done on your own, it doesn’t get done, and some folks need that ‘push’ of being in a classroom. I recommend it to people who are self-driven.”

“I enjoy the people I work with. We all get along well and that makes the work environment easy. I also enjoy diving into the more analytical side of things, being able use the program MicroStrategy and I’m one of the few people at my company learning to use it. Analytical stuff take time, but it’s like a puzzle, and when you get it it’s such a feeling of joy!”

“I went to school for music, but ESPN is still entertainment, so a lot of things feel similar.  Also in some projects I have to deal with music licensing, and my music business background means I can talk to other folks and know exactly what’s going on.”

“While I’m not doing music professionally at this point, I still sing weekly in church and coordinate my church’s music services..  In addition, my husband–also a Berklee grad–works in music and he often asks me for financial advice.”

“Take chances and reach out–all they can say is no. You never know unless you ask.”

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Michelle Pugliese

Listen to the interview (approx. 42 min) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2008 with a major in Performance.  Principal instrument:  flute.

 

Position:  Educational Administrator/Manager (finance &  marketing) in the Languages Division of Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts.  (Temple is a large university with many different colleges.)  She handles accounts payable, purchases, website updates, a monthly newsletters, video productions and special events (including around 200 lectures per year!).  Michelle also works closely with department chairs, and she directly supervises four full-time staff.

 

Overview:  After graduating Berklee, Michelle gigged around the Boston area in a wedding band and a jazz trio and had several students, but her income wasn’t enough to support herself and after a year she moved home to Philadelphia and sought employment.  Wanting to stay within music, Michelle looked at Temple’s website–their music college had an opening for a part-time music marketing position, which she applied for an got.  Within 2 years student enrollment in the music college had doubled, which meant more work for her, and her position became full time.  Michelle also took advantage of working at a Temple University by taking classes to get a masters degree, earning her M.Ed. in Higher Ed. Leadership and Administration in 2014.

In early 2013, Michelle her boss at the music college left, and she hoped to get their position.  She applied for multiple positions at the university in order to buff up her interviewing chops.  Sadly, she did not get her boss’s position at the music college, but her “practice” interview at the College of Liberal Arts ultimately turned into a job offer for her current position.

 

You can see Michelle’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “Foreign languages attracted me because I think of music as a foreign language. Also, at Berklee it was amazing how you would sit with so many folks who may not speak English but you could start playing music together and figure it out. We can take classes here for free. When I have time to take a lunch break you usually can find me in a Spanish or Italian class to keep my brain sharp.”

“Berklee always stressed the importance of marketing our skills and having an online presence & press kit, and I promote myself professionally similar to how I did musically.”\

“I took my position because it would round out my resume–web design, finance, supervision. It’s a stepping stone to my next position in education.  One day I’d love to be a dean of a music or art school.”

“Take a side job until you’re financially on your feet. You’re not giving up on music, but that extra financial padding helps you enjoy life and do music on the side.”

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Anthony Barden

 

Listen to the interview (approx. 55 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2009 with a major in Film Scoring.  Principal instrument:  guitar.

 

Position:  Heath IT  Business Analyst (software administrator) at Michigan Medicine, a large hospital affiliated with the University of Michigan.  Specializing in the use and configuration of the software EPIC, which is used in the medical field, Anthony works with doctors and nurses to make sure the software does what they need.  His time is divided roughly evenly between fixing software problems and designing/implementing upgrades.

 

Overview:  After graduation, Anthony wanted to do film scoring, but chose to move to Michigan to be with his girlfriend (now wife).  Unable to find much work (or network) where he was, Anthony took a day job with a property-management company.  His now-father-in-law offered Anthony a position in his business as a mortgage broker, and Anthony spent a year getting the credentials.  However, the housing market was terrible and he got very little work in this commission-based job. Moreover, he found the work dull.  Anthony recalled that he enjoyed working with technology at Berklee and decide that he would make a good career path.  In 2011 he started his Masters in Computer Information Systems from Eastern Michigan University, graduating in 2013.

While in grad school, Anthony decided that Medical IT would be a good career path.  He applied and got a job at a technology-help desk in a hospital, where he worked while finishing his program.  Sadly, the hospital had a hiring freeze.  Upon graduation, Anthony took a low-paid summer internship at Michigan Medicine where he learned to use EPIC, and as the internship ended he was offered his current job.

 

You can see Anthony’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “I was in grad school studying information systems. I stumbled across healthcare IT and it was interesting, mainly because the while health care industry was so far behind–until recently it was all on paper.  I figured there would be many great career opportunities in that field.”

“What I like most about my job is helping people–helping the system work better so that providers can take better care of patients. I’ts rewarding when I help a group with a system improvement–you can tell they’re grateful for it, and sometimes you can see direct results, which is pretty cool–such as alerts if medications are conflicting, and reminders to take medication.”

“The internship I did after grad school–the right move at the right time. I met all the people who could get my career to the next level. I got to shadow people with all this knowledge. I got a sense of what folks were struggling with. I got full Epic training–EPIC is in high demand, but you’re only allowed to learn it if you’re using it–I learned how the hospital’s systems worked.

“If you’re interested in working in healthcare IT, get any exposure to healthcare and health IT that you can! Even if you’re just being a clerk. So many workflows are unique to health care, so the more you get exposure to how it work and the language used the better a position you’ll be in. Also, I did well by working at service desks. You get trained on the system, you learn to troubleshoot, about customer service, and you see patterns in what people struggle with. Another thought is to go work for EPIC, or for a medical IT consulting firm, as those are other ways you can get an EPIC certification.  If you can get that certification you’ll get so many opportunities!”

 

Anthony with his family.  “Recruiters reach out to me with job offers 3-5 times per week offering me jobs across the country. So many health systems are trying to catch up, but not enough people have EPIC certifications.  I could make more money as a consultant, constantly traveling.  But I like the flexibility of my job and my work/life balance. It’s nice to be able to come in late or take a day off if my kids are sick.”

 

 

 

Anthony still plays guitar sometimes writes music, but mainly for his own enjoyment.  “Music is my way to unwind, relax, be creative. I hope that someday my girls will be into it–family jam time!”

“I wish everyone the best of luck in pursuing your musical dream. Some of you may find that it can’t be 100% of your income, but that’s OK.  For me, music is a small portion of my day and 0% of my income. That said, music is still very important to me. I learned some great lessons at Berklee and wouldn’t change what I did.”

 

 

 

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Morgan Mallory

Listen to the interview (approx. 55 min.) or download it.

 

Graduated in 2012 with a major in Music Business.  Principal instrument:  voice.

 

Position:  Sales Excecutive (Business to Business sales) at The Office Connection.   Working in the metro-Chicago area, Morgan sells her company’s office equipment and supplies as well as services such as cleaning and paper stredding to mostly-local businesses.  Roughly one third of her time is spent managing current accounts (she earns money with every order they place.), and the rest of finding new business.

 

Overview:  For two years after graduation, Morgan tried to make it as a singer in the Boston area, working with a wedding band and gigging, but earned a very modest income.  She moved to L.A. and needed a day job.  Her father, who sold coffee to offices, put in the good word to Alta Food Craft, which got Morgan a similar job.  For a year, Morgan sold coffee during the day and gigged in the evening, until she was laid off.  However, Morgan’s experience meant that, one application later, she was Quill, a subsidiary of Staples, which sold equipment directly to businesses.  Sadly, the pay there was pretty modest, and after a while she decided that a prosperous music career wasn’t going to happen.  In mid-2016 she moved home to Chicago and stopped pursuing a music career.

Between Morgan’s father knowing someone and Morgan’s very relevant work experience, soon after moving home Morgan got her current job in mid-2016.  Morgan has done very well in this mostly commission-based job, which has been a major financial step up from anything she had done before.  Morgan continues to work there, while planning to go back to school sometimes soon to get an executive MBA “because I belong on the C-level.”

 

You can see Morgan’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “I join organizations and build relationships. I’m in multiples Chambers of Commerce and go to their events. Then when selling, rather than go, ‘Hi, this is Morgan.  Are you responsible for ordering supplies?’ it’s much more effective to go “Hi, this is Morgan. I met Karen at such-and-such event. I’m a member of your Tenley Park Chamber of Commerce.  Karen told me that you’re the person responsible for ordering supplies.”

“I’m proud to say I’m getting myself out of debt. Paying off my student loans and I’m currently looking for a home to purchase.”

“I’m juggling so much at this job! I’m up-selling current accounts. Trying to build relationships locally and nationally. Joining organizations, and going to events all the time. Those accounts I’ve build relationships with, getting them going. ”

“My Music Business classes, such as Economics and Accounting, helped me understand how the industry works and the complexities of market competition. For example, currently Staples is under financial pressure–I can tell the end user what’s happening in the market and why The Office Connection is a better bet.”

“Live your life, life your dreams, but don’t let your heart go where your brain can’t follow. If you’re not making money, that’s not a job–that’s a hobby.”

 

Morgan singing in the evening.   “I was a professional vocalist for 10 years, mostly Boston but also L.A. for 2 years and even Dubai for 4 months. Sales is similar– like performance, you have to make a connection with people. I want my customers to say ‘I don’t just buy from the Office Connection, I buy from Morgan!'”

 

 

 

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.

Ernie McMillan

Listen to the interview (approx. 45 min.) or download it.

Graduated in 2013 with a major in Professional Music.  Principal Instrument:  drums.

 

Position:  Assistent V.P; Salesforce Support Analyst (Product Manager) at City National Bank, a national level bank, headquartered in L.A., which specializes in loans to the entertainment industry.  Ernie is one of ten people on the Salesforce team, supporting that Customer Relationship Management software,. but the one person doing his exact role:  assisting with data migration, training, and making sure the software used to its best, improving the platform to meet the bank’s needs.  “I communicate with business-side users to find what they need and then translate that in technical terms to the development team, which builds it.”

 

Overview:  Ernie grew up in the San Francisco area and always liked technology, though he was a history major before transferring to Berklee.  His last semester at Berklee he did an internship at Echonest (now part of Spotify), which combined music and technology.  After graduating, he ultimately wanted to move to L.A. and pursue a music career, but decided first to move home to work and save up money in order to “fund the dream.”  He applied for a contractor job at Yelp, which he got in part because of his tech-based internship.  He started by reviewing user “flagged” user content, but quickly moved up and took responsibility for building pages, which involved interacting with Yelp’s Salesforce team.  Ernie worked at Yelp for a full year, the last 6 months remotely after he moved to L.A.

Ernie was gigging, but when his contract ended, he again needed more income, so he applied and got a job at a start up, PTTOW, which needed someone with Salesforce experience to run their database.  He worked there for close to two years until he heard that City National Bank was going to be putting together a Salesforce team, which would be a great opportunity to move up.  He applied for his current job, didn’t hear back for a few months, then they responded and he got it in May, 2017.

 

You can see Ernie’s LinkedIn profile here.

 

Choice Quotes:  “In my role, every day has a new challenge that keeps me on my toes, thinking, expanding my horizon.”

“A cool thing with Salesforce is there’s a number of ways you can solve a given problem. It’s fun to have to try to figure out the best possible solution.”

“When I have a passion toward something I can pick it up quickly.  I was self-taught on drums coming into Berklee; it was similarly easy for me to pick up Salesforce. ”

“Music has taught me not only how to focus on a task at hand, but also how to work on a team. As a drummer I’m a solid foundation that carries a group.”

“There’s pressure to come out of Berklee and think you’re going to have a great music career. But it helps to look at Berklee as a great college experience. Learn about yourself, your strengths, how to learn. Be open to other opportunities and career paths. Understand your skill set–see what works for you, keeping you happy and keeping the bills paid. But keep that passion for music, which you still can do on the side.”

 

 

See the full index of successful Berklee alumni.